NICARAGUA: CARNE ASADA BEEF, FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI, ENSALADA de REPOLLO and ‘WHITE’ RICE

September 07, 2026

NICARAGUA: CARNE ASADA BEEF, FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI, ENSALADA de REPOLLO and ‘WHITE’ RICE

Nicaragua sits almost at the mid-point of the narrow Central American land bridge that connects North and South America. Nicaragua’s location on the bridge also means it is a country that separates the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea by just a few hundred kilometres. With wildly different twin coastlines, a chain of live volcanoes, and several abundant fresh-water lakes deep in its heart, Nicaragua has a reputation for unspoilt natural beauty.

These diverse and fertile landscapes shaped Nicaraguan culture and cuisine for millennia. Indigenous Amerindians had lived in Nicaragua for more than 13 thousand years before Europeans claimed to have ‘discovered’ the land in 1505. At that point Nicaraguans had a deep understanding of biodiversity and the interconnectedness of all forms of life. The cornerstone of their farming practices was a climate-resilient system of companion planting where their beloved triad of corn, beans and squash were planted alongside avocado, chilli, tomatoes and root vegetables; foods that still define the nation’s table.

Spanish conquistadors arrived in Nicaragua in the mid 1520’s and although the Indigenous people resisted colonisation they fell under Spanish rule for almost 3oo years. Nicaragua’s culinary inheritance from Spanish occupation was the introduction of new farming and cooking methods featuring pork, cattle, rice and citrus. This creating a new cuisine that blended European ingredients and techniques with deeply rooted Indigenous foods and practices.

Nicaragua became independent from Spain in 1821 and by the end of that century, distinctive regional food traditions had emerged across the country reflecting a complex mix of Indigenous, Spanish, African and Caribbean influences. Along the Caribbean coast, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous and wider Caribbean traditions had shaped a cuisine rich in coconut milk, plantains, seafood and aromatic seasoning. Meanwhile, in the Pacific and central regions, blending of Indigenous and Spanish traditions continued to define a food culture centred on grilled meats, rice, beans, maize, and fresh local produce.

These regional cuisines tell food stories of how Nicaragua’s culinary journey was shaped over centuries. They also share qualities that define Nicaragua’s modern culinary landscape. Key ingredients are consistent across regions with corn, beans, rice, plantains, cheese, and meats beloved everywhere. Likewise, Nicaraguan flavour notes are characteristically bright, tangy and citrus forward, leaning into savory but not outspokenly spicy. In Nicaragua, food is deeply rooted in its people’s history of resilience and continuity.

our

NICARAGUAN

menu included

CARNE ASADA BEEF

topped with

FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI

served with

ENSALADA de REPOLLO

and

‘WHITE’ RICE

with

corn tortillas on the side

CARNE ASADA BEEF topped with FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI

INGREDIENTS:

Key Ingredients:

· 1 kg piece of beef skirt steak or replace with flank steak (see notes)

· Freshly ground rock salt and black peppercorns to taste (or similar)

Marinade Ingredients:

· 1 cup of fresh squeezed sour orange juice or replicate (see notes)

· 1/3 cup olive oil

· 2 tbs freshly crushed garlic

· 2 medium onions, peeled and cut thinly in rings or half-moons (see notes)

· 2 tsp dried oregano, or 3-4 sprigs fresh oregano

· 1 tsp cumin seeds, freshly ground or replace with cumin powder

Fresh Herb Chimichurri (see notes)

· 1 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves

· 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

· 125 ml virgin olive oil

· Juice of 1 large lime or 80ml white vinegar

· 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 part cayenne and 1 part smoked paprika

· 1 tbs crushed garlic (approximately 4 large cloves)

· Freshly ground coarse salt and peppercorns to taste

METHOD:

1. Prepare the marinade in a large glass dish/tray

2. Pat meat dry with clean paper towels

3. Add the steak to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for between 4 and 12 hours turning every 1/2 hour or so to ensure even marination

TIP: Don’t marinate meat for more than 12 hours or its texture goes mushy

4. While meat is marinating prepare chimichurri by combining all ingredients then refrigerate – it should have a loose rather than pasty consistency

5. When ready to grill, season the meat with salt and black pepper

6. The steak should be cooked using quick intense heat so it rapidly develops crisp charred edges without drying out inside (see tips below)

TIPS ON GRILLING:

· You are going to cook the meat on a smoking hot dry grill/BBQ plate

· There is no need to add oil to the grill as there is oil in the marinade

· Turn the BBQ on high, and if it has a lid close it for at least 10mins

· When the grill is literally smoking hot you are ready to cook

· Don’t baste the meat with the marinade

7. Sear meat on the BBQ for about 5-10 minutes on each side until it has reached your preferred level of char and ‘doneness’ e.g. rare, medium etc

8. At the same time as the meat is grilling scoop the onions out of the marinade and cook them beside the steak (throw the marinade away)

9. Once the meat is cooked remove it from the BBQ and rest it on a clean covered plate for at least 10 minutes to let it ‘relax’ and release juices

10. Turn the grill heat back a bit and keep cooking the onions while the meat rests, turning the onions often until they are caramelised and creamy

11. Once the steak has rested slice it against the grain to ensure tenderness

12. lay the steak slices on a platter, pour the released meat juices over the top then add a stream of Chimichurri and the caramelised onions alongside

NOTES:

On Skirt Steak:

· Skirt steak is preferred as it has an open and loose muscle texture that absorbs the acidic marinade far more deeply than flank steak

On Sour Orange Juice:

· Sour Orange (also known as Seville Orange) is a citrus variety in its own right. It sits somewhere between orange, lime, and grapefruit

· Sour Orange is characteristically acidic and tart even when ripe

· If you don’t have access to Seville Oranges you can replicate the flavour by combining 1 part lemon juice/1 part lime juice/2 parts sweet orange juice

· To make 1 cup of replica sour orange juice (depending on the size and juiciness of the fruit you have) you would combine the juice of 1 large Valencia Orange, juice of 1/2 large or 1 small lemon and juice of 1-2 limes

On Onions:

· Traditionally this dish might be cooked on an open grill so if onions are chopped finely they would just fall off into the fire, which is not ideal as the cooked onion is a flavoursome accompaniment to this dish in its own right

· Cutting rings is when you slice thin rounds off a whole peeled onion

· Cutting moons is when you slice thin crescents off half a peeled onion

On Chimichurri:

· Chimichurri originated much farther south in Argentina and Uruguay, however, thanks to culinary migration over the last century this fresh, flavour-rich condiment has become part of Nicaragua’s culinary repertoire

· Nicaraguan cooks have embraced and adapted the sauce to local tastes, creating their own version that reflects their own vibrant food traditions

WHITE RICE

Known as Arroz Banco in Nicaragua (which translates to ‘White Rice’). This recipe is nothing like the plain white rice of Asia or Europe. Rather its flavours are deeply layered with sour orange juice, caramel onion, garlic and peppers

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 cups of white fluffy-style long grain rice (not basmati it’s too fragrant)

· 1/4 cup canola oil or other neutral vegetable oil (not olive oil – see notes)

· 1/2 white onion, finely diced

· 1/2 Green chiltoma, bell pepper, or capsicum, cored and finely diced

· 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

· 3 1/2 cups of water

· 2 tbs sour orange juice

· 1 teaspoon salt

METHOD:

1. In a medium size cooking pot add the oil and heat to medium

2. Add in the onions and slowly cook over medium-low heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon to ensure onions don’t brown or stick to the bottom of the pot until they are translucent and soft; about 5 mins

3. Now add in the peppers and garlic and cook a bit longer stirring frequently

4. Add the rice to the pot and stir it well to coat all the grains in the hot oil

5. Turn the heat up a little and sauté the rice for about 2 minutes stirring constantly to avoid the rice browning or burning until the rice is beginning to turn whiter or begins ‘talking’ with popping / cracking sounds

6. Add water, salt and sour orange juice to the pot and bring the ingredients to the boil, stirring vigorously to ensure grains don’t clump together

7. Allow the pot to come to a hard boil and boil for one full minute stirring

8. Now reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 mins

9. Turn heat off, leave lid on and allow to sit for 10 minutes. From this point don’t take lid off the pot until ready to serve. As long as you don’t take the lid of it will hold heat for some time

10. When ready to serve take lid off and Fluff rice with a fork

NOTES:

Why not Olive Oil? Two reasons. Firstly, olive oil is fruity which changes the flavour profile of the rice from central American to Mediterranean. Secondly, olive oil has a relatively low ‘smoke’ point so heating it high enough to dry fry the rice can cause the oil to burn and add a bitter taste to the dish

ENSALADA de REPOLLO

Don’t be misled by the simplicity of this recipe. The dressing is intentionally light and tangy so it cuts through the richness of Nicaraguan grilled meats.

INGREDIENTS

· 1/4 medium green cabbage

· 1 carrot, peeled and grated

· ¼ small white onion, peeled and diced finely

· 1 large plum or roma tomato, washed, cored and diced finely

· 120 ml white vinegar

· Juice of 1 lime

· Freshly ground rock salt and black pepper, to taste

· 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro / coriander

· ½ small jalapeño or other chilli, finely chopped (optional but traditional)

METHOD

1. Start by removing and discarding the tough outer leaves from the cabbage

2. Cut the core out of the cabbage quarter with a sharp knife

3. Separate the cabbage leaves from each other and use a small sharp knife to cut out any thick centre veins from the cabbage leaves

4. Roll the trimmed cabbage leaves up into large cigar shapes and use a larger sharp knife to slice the cabbage rolls thinly length-wise

5. Place the sliced cabbage and grated carrot in a large heat-proof bowl

6. Boil a pot of water and pour it over the cabbage and carrot to cover the veg with boiling water and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes to soften

7. Drain the veg and run under cold water then pop in fridge to cool

TIP: throwing a handful of ice cubes in with the veg will speed up the cooling

8. When the veg is cool drain it again through a colander and mix it with the diced onion and tomato in a salad bowl or similar for serving

9. Put the vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper in a jar, screw on the lid and shake well to combine and make a fresh dressing

10. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix it well

11. Cover and refrigerate the salad for 30- 60 minutes, just long enough to take the raw bight out of the onion

12. Left over salad can be stored in the fridge for 3 days

These are all Q-ZINE original recipes informed by multiple sources including but not limited to the following links that will help you get a better idea of the evolution and depth of Nicaraguan cuisine if you are interested to go deeper:

https://www.nataknowsbest.com/ensalada-de-repollo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk2oAVSNgtU

https://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/vigoron-recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UI-Cyursdk

https://maxipali.com.ni/ideas-mama-lucha-pali-y-maxi-pali-nicaragua/delicioso-guiso-de-papas-prepara-esta-receta-de-la-forma-mas-rapida-y-economica

https://www.nataknowsbest.com/nicaraguan-carne-asada/#recipe

https://nicaraguanrecipes.com

https://www.recetasnicaraguenses.com/search/label/Comidas%20Tipicas

https://en.recetas-nicaragua.com

https://jonathanmelendez.com

https://www.nataknowsbest.com

https://fullybloated.wordpress.com/tag/nicaragua